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Season 2 of Better Call Saul, a Breaking Bad prequel about the origins of shifty lawyer Saul Goodman, premieres on Feb. 15 at 10 p.m. on AMC. Consider this your Coles Notes to Season 1: a binge-watching meal replacement that breaks down its highlights and lowlights to give you maximum premiere pleasure. And beware, there are spoilers ahead.

Where We Left Off

Saul is living under a new identity in Nebraska where he fled after things went bad in Breaking Bad. We flash back to Albuquerque where Saul is Jimmy McGill, a former scam artist turned lawyer. He runs his practice out of a nail salon, takes legal aid cases for peanuts and cares for his mentally unbalanced big brother Chuck, a revered lawyer turned recluse who believes he’s being poisoned by electrical energy. Jimmy stumbles on a major case involving ripped-off seniors, but his nemesis, Howard Hamlin, refuses to let Jimmy help fight it . . . because Chuck vetoed him. Jimmy finds a reluctant ally in Breaking Bad’s Mike Ehrmantraut, a tainted ex-cop who does organized crime jobs on the side.

Best Episode

“Marco”: We glimpse Jimmy’s past, present and future. In Chicago, he relives his days as “Slippin’ Jimmy,” pulling scams with old friend Marco – who dies in the middle of one last con - but lawyer Jimmy knows he has to return to Alburquerque. Back home, Jimmy reflects on the fact he had a chance to pocket half of $1.6 million in stolen money and tells Mike, “I know what stopped me and you know what? It’s never stopping me again,” giving us a glimpse of future Saul.

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Most Shocking Moment

When Jimmy learns it was Chuck, not Howard, who refused to allow him to join the nursing home case.

Main Characters

Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk): A smart, articulate, self-made lawyer who clawed his way out of a life of petty crime but can’t catch a break playing by the rules. Stung by his brother’s betrayal, he rejects a legit legal job.

Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks): Former cop on the take hides out in Albuquerque after killing the dirty cops who murdered his police officer son. Tough and taciturn, his well hidden heart belongs to his daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

Chuck McGill (Michael McKean): Brilliant lawyer still commands respect despite refusing to leave his house due to an imagined allergy to electrical energy. He betrays Jimmy, believing he’ll always be a con man.

Nacho Varga (Michael Mando): He’s part of the crew of Tuco Salamanca of Breaking Bad lore, but he’s looking to move up in the drug trade. If he threatens to kill you he probably means it.

What’s Next

Co-creator Peter Gould told The Hollywood Reporter that Jimmy still has a way to go before he becomes the cynical, criminal-abetting lawyer we saw in Breaking Bad. Ditto for Mike. We can expect a bigger role for Nacho in Season 2, a deepening relationship between Jimmy and lawyer Kim (Rhea Seehorn), and continuing bad blood between Jimmy and Chuck. Breaking Bad fans should look for “Easter eggs.”

Fun Fact

This isn’t Michael McKean’s first spinoff related to Vince Gilligan. He appeared in an episode of X-Files spinoff The Lone Gunmen. Gilligan was a writer on that series. McKean has also worked with Odenkirk before, appearing in an episode of Mr. Show With Bob and David.

Extra Credit

If you love Better Call Saul . . .

Try Breaking Bad: This masterpiece of plotting, tone and character development will tell you all you need to know about who Jimmy is destined to become

Fargo: If the quirk quotient in Saul appeals to you, this anthology series concerning crime, evasion and punishment in small-town Minnesota should fit the bill.

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